Hulk vs Thanos Finally Proves Hulk Can Win (By Making 1 Change to His Fighting Style)

The latest fight between Hulk and Thanos makes it clear that the Avenger needs to fight less-than-fair in order to take down the Mad Titan – as Hulk proves more than willing to use underhanded tactics to win against his opponent. As two of the Marvel Universe’s most imposing figures clash once more, it has become evident that neither is inclined to play by the “rules.”

The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – written by Derek Landy, with art by Geoff Shaw – continues the massive “Infinity Watch” crossover storyline, as Hulk becomes Thanos’ next great obstacle toward his goal of once more acquiring Marvel’s Infinity Gems.

At least for Thanos, the battle does not go as planned – as not only does Hulk refuse to be defeated, but he is more than willing to fight dirty, overcoming an inhibition that held him back in previous encounters with the villain.

The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – Written By Derek Landy; Art By Geoff Shaw; Color By Frank Martin; Lettering By Cory Petit

The Incredible Hulk Annual offers a thrilling comic book battle between Marvel’s Mad Titan, Thanos, and one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ strongest members, the Hulk. The fight featured in the issue is everything Marvel Cinematic Universe fans wish they had gotten from a face-off between the two characters. It is an extended one-on-one fight that finds each of them getting the upperhand at one point or another – before Hulk finally emerges victorious by embracing a tactic he’s never used against Thanos before: fighting dirty.

During their brawl, Hulk bites Thanos, sucker punches him in the gut, and hits him from behind – in the process, physically disorienting the alien antagonist. At the same time, Hulk’s irreverence toward his opponent infuriates Thanos, getting him further emotionally and psychologically off-balance in order to aggressively maintain the advantage. More than just an exposition of brute force, The Incredible Hulk Annual depicts this version of Hulk as a master of battlefield mind-games. In the end, it is his mental manipulation of Thanos, as much as his physical ability, that allows Hulk to prevail.

Hulk Reminds Readers That He’s Powerful Enough To Stand Toe-To-Toe With Thanos

The Incredible Hulk Annual (2024) #1 – Available Now From Marvel Comics

Of course, in the abstract, most Marvel fans know that Hulk is one of the publisher’s strongest characters – but realistically, Hulk’s power level is a moving target, shifting from story to story, from creative team to creative team. The Incredible Hulk Annual offers a stellar reminder of the hero’s might by pitting him against Thanos, who is widely considered to be among the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous villains. Thanos’ Eternal biology, and various upgrades throughout the years, have made him immeasurably strong, yet Hulk more than holds his own when they trade blows.

As mentioned, he also stands tall as he trades insults with Thanos – another dimension to this battle that makes it by far the most exciting Hulk vs. Thanos match-up in Marvel history. Hulk is depicted as an intellectual equal to Thanos, something that increasingly works in his favor as the battle progresses. When Thanos remarks that he has defeated Hulk before, Hulk corrects him; the villain has never faced this incarnation of the Hulk before, and the Mad Titan ultimately pays for underestimating his enemy.

Hulk Holds The Advantage – Until Their Next Bout

The Incredible Hulk Annual does more than just emphasize that Hulk is a physical and mental match for Thanos; it doubles down on the fact that Hulk is a fighter unlike any of his Avengers colleagues, one who is willing to use tactics others wouldn’t. This is the key to his victory, as it turns out, but even more crucially, it sets the stage for an escalating rivalry between the pair. In their inevitable next confrontation, Thanos will know he has to raise – or rather, lower – the bar if he wants to keep up with Hulk.

In other words, hopefully Marvel recognizes the great potential for further confrontations between Hulk and Thanos, and acknowledges the enthusiastic fan response to their fight in this year’s The Incredible Hulk Annual. Who would win in a fight between the two is a perennial question for Marvel fans, and each time the two come into contact, it adds fuel to the fire of that raging debate. Though Hulk won this round, he will have to fight even harder, and even dirtier, the next time he and Thanos come to blows.

The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.